The American Zen College
The American Zen College provides a quiet contemplative environment for the purpose of studying and practicing religion and philosophy.
The American Zen College was founded in 1976 by Zen Master Gosung Shin. After teaching religion at Lehigh University, Master Shin was offered space for a Zen center at Easton, Pennsylvania, and founded the Hui-Neng Zen Temple. After several years the Temple outgrew its space, and Shin moved to Woodhull, New York, where he established the Kwan Yin Zen Center.
Continued growth led to the closing of the Woodhull center and the creation of two new centers: the Zen Center of Washington (1977), which primarily serves Koreans living in the Washington, D.C. area, and the Seneca Lake Zen Center (1978) at 16815 Germantown Rd., Route 18, Germantown, Maryland 20767. The name "American Zen College" was adopted as an inclusive designation in the early 1980s. The college publishes the journal American Beauty Mind.
The American Zen College includes a 7,000 square foot zendo and dharma hall. The building houses a library, kitchen, dining room, offices, and guest quarters. The college also houses a 30-foot pagoda of carved Indian limestone which houses Buddha Sakyamuni's Saria, pearl-like remains of the historic Buddha Sakyamuni. The Saria were donated to the college by the national treasury of South Korea and are the only Saria in the United States
American Zen College 16815 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874
